Navigating our New World: Inner Development for Global Action

The 2025 edition of the Caux Inner Development Goals Forum (Caux IDG) focuses on integrating inner development with global impact, ensuring that the mind, heart, and will are open and engaged in harmony to foster both inner and outer peace. 

We invite you to create transformative workshops during the Caux IDG Forum, where our objective is to embark on a deep, experiential journey guided by the Theory U framework.

We are seeking interactive, engaging, and experiential workshops for:

• DAY 3: Presencing & Inspiration – Cultivating self-awareness and aligning purpose with action
• DAY 4:  Co-Creating -  Prototyping & Designing Solutions

each of which follows a distinct stage of the Theory U journey.

Please note that applications are now closed!

Understanding Theory U & its role in the Caux IDG Forum

What is Theory U?

Theory U, developed by Otto Scharmer at MIT’s Presencing Institute, is a framework for leading profound systemic change by shifting from habitual, reactive thinking to a more conscious, connected, and co-creative approach. 

It describes a U-shaped journey that helps individuals and groups move from seeing problems through old lenses to co-creating innovative, sustainable solutions. 

The five key stages of Theory U mirror an inner and outer transformation process, guiding us to: 

• Observe deeply without judgment (Co-Sensing) 
• Connect with our inner knowing and emerging future (Presencing) 
• Prototype and co-create innovative solutions (Co-Creating & Co-Evolving) 

Why is Theory U Important for the Caux IDG Forum 2025?

The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) and the philosophy of Caux Initiatives of Change emphasize the importance of cultivating inner capacities—such as self-awareness, compassion, and collaboration—as the foundation for meaningful global change. However, true transformation goes beyond intellectual learning; it requires deep experiential engagement. 

Theory U, as a transformational development framework, guides this shift from inner awareness to outward action. It provides a structured process for participants to convene, observe, reflect, crystallize insights, and prototype solutions for both personal and global challenges. 

Workshop Guidelines

Day 3: Presencing – Connecting to Inner Wisdom & Purpose

Intention:

• Creating stillness, self-reflection, and inner clarity to discuss pressing global challenges and to uncover new possibilities.

What we are looking for:

• Activities that encourage letting go of limiting beliefs and creating space for new insights. 
• Deep dialogue circles where participants can explore emerging questions, feelings, and intuitive knowledge. 

Day 4: Co-Creating – Prototyping & Designing Solutions

Intention:

• Moving from insight to action—designing tangible solutions through collaboration and experimentation. 

What we are looking for:

• Workshops that encourage co-creation and rapid prototyping of ideas that address global challenges or systems change.
• Sessions that introduce solution-focused dialogues or support system-focused dialogue.

It’s important to highlight that, on Day 4, participants will have the option to attend the Pro-Action Café, where they can self-organize around key topics emerging from Day 1 and begin designing real-world experiments, or engage in workshop sessions.

The choice of which session to participate in will be at the discretion of the participants. Our goal is to make the forum as inclusive and experiential as possible.

Workshop Format & Submission Guidelines

• Workshop Duration: 90 minutes
• Formats Encouraged: Interactive, participatory, and experiential (NO long lectures!) 

How to apply?

1. Fill out the application form by 15 May 2025.
2. Please ensure all documents are complete before submission.

If you have questions or need guidance on shaping your workshop, feel free to reach out by EMAIL.

Thank you for being part of this transformative journey. Together, we are building the inner capacities needed for global change.

We look forward to your innovative workshop proposals!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

On 29 March 2025, Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations of 1955 mark their 70th anniversary—a milestone with lessons that extend far beyond Denmark and Germany. History has shown that minorities often bear the brunt of conflict, repeatedly treated as outsiders or expendable pawns in power struggles. The Declarations acknowledge this injustice and emphasize the need for societies to confront their own role in discrimination and division—an essential step in peacebuilding and sustaining democracy. At a time when democratic values are under increasing strain worldwide, the principles behind these declarations serve as a powerful reminder that peace requires both justice and self-reflection. 

Christoph Spreng, advisor to the Standing Committee CINGO and co-organiser of the Caux Democracy Forum, reflects on the significance of the Declarations.

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At the recent World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, a young student from Georgia surprised me because he knew right away what I was talking about when I mentioned the Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations of 1955 which will be celebrating their 70th anniversary on 29 March this year.

In the aftermath of World War II, tensions between Germany and Denmark remained high, particularly in the border region of Schleswig-Holstein and Southern Jutland, home to both Danish and German minorities.

In this context, the Caux Palace in Switzerland, through the international conferences organised by Initiatives of Change (formerly Moral Re-Armament), became a vital space for dialogue. Between 1946 and 1950, it hosted 888 Danish and 3,113 German visitors, including key figures seeking to rebuild trust and cooperation across national and cultural divides.

The encounters at the Caux Palace were more than just a meeting place—they were a catalyst for action. Personal initiatives emerged, such as Danish educators moving south across the border to work in Flensburg to support the recovery through education.

Another striking example was Urte Hvidt, a Dane of German origin, who faced hostility as a child due to her background. Her family’s journey of healing, supported by Initiatives of Change, led them to establish a house near the border as a meeting place, demonstrating how individual efforts contributed to a broader transformation in attitudes.

The encounters at the Caux Palace were more than just a meeting place—they were a catalyst for action.

Beyond grassroots initiatives, the conversations at the Caux Palace also influenced high-level diplomacy. Informal meetings in Copenhagen and Hamburg, facilitated by Initiatives of Change members, played a crucial role in concluding the Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations.

Danish leader Ole Björn Kraft and German cabinet member Heinrich Hellwege, both attendees of Caux conferences, explored the resolution to their respective minority issues. This led to the idea of independent but simultaneous Declarations rather than an international treaty. This vision quickly gained support, culminating in the signing of the Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations by Danish Prime Minister H.C. Hansen and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on 29 March, 1955.

Seventy years later, the Bonn-Copenhagen model remains a testament to the role of active listening and dialogue in establishing minority rights. As political polarisation and repression increase in many places, the Declarations of 1955 serve as a clue to upgrade the value of unity in diversity and serve as a reminder that reconciliation, rooted in trust and personal engagement, is key to democratic values and resilience.

The upcoming Caux Democracy Forum (8–12 July 2025) offers an opportunity to reflect and gain lessons from the past. By focussing on the importance of democratic values and addressing challenges such as disinformation, polarisation, human rights, and declining public trust in institutions, this summer’s forum on democracy continues Caux’s tradition of fostering inclusive and cooperative solutions.

As Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, reminds us: “We are one humanity.”  This message is most likely also the dream of the young students from Georgia met at the World Democracy Forum.

Read more background information about the story of the Bonn-Copenhagen Declarations

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The Caux Democracy Forum (8–12 July 2025) in Caux, Switzerland, aims to inspire, equip, and connect individuals and organisations dedicated to strengthening democracy, human rights, and civic engagement globally.

Find out more and register now